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Journalism of Courage
Famous author Bruce Lipton had once said, “Belief can change your biology.” Your prayers, affirmation, intention and meditation can change your psychology and even your physiology. So much so that you can stall, reverse and cure any body condition you might have.
Food is a key ingredient of your health and should become a part of your body therapy. Get creative with colours, using all vegetables and fruits with their different skins. That means they are rich in anti-oxidants that help boost immunity. Get creative with variety as it will provide different nutrients to boost your immunity.
Be mindful about what you consume, as that will help to cleanse yourself and integrate you with all your systems and functions, in terms of your physiology. Eat clean and green.
Happy foods release your happy hormones, which harmonise your health and well-being. These include honey, raisins, dates and fruits. Remember this basic fact: Vegetables cleanse you; fruits heal you; nuts, seeds and dry fruits fortify you while herbs regulate you. Eat regional and seasonal foods and maintain a perfect combination of raw and cooked foods. Here are a few simple pointers that can be easily incorporated:
1) Include wholegrains, cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, beetroot, radish, mustard greens (sarson), leafy greens like spinach, kale, lettuce, sweet potato, beans, avocados, tomatoes and pumpkin. Include coloured foods like bell peppers and carrots.
2) Go for alkaline fruits like pomegranate and melons, berries like raspberries, strawberries, apple, pear and grapes.
3) Opt for seeds and nuts like flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds and walnuts.
4) Incorporate legumes and beans like chickpeas, black beans and grams. Include a lot of sprouts.
5) We often do not realise the power of condiments, so use herbs like giloy and amla as well as spices like turmeric, cinnamon, garlic and ginger.
6) Develop a habit for green herbal teas – include mint, lemongrass, neem and tulsi. They flush out toxins.
7) Do away with processed, preserved, packaged, manufactured, flavoured foods.
8) Say no to sugar and processed dairy products
9) Limit foods high in bad fats like trans-fat, hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats/oils.
10) Try mono diets for a couple of days – only salads or only fruits and nuts and seeds.
Cleanliness and hygiene of food are very important as much as eating with reverence and intimacy. The more you respect your food, the more it will yield.
Follow the circadian rhythm. Weave your life around sunrise and moonlight and pattern your activities through the day so as to take advantage of the body’s natural rhythm and energy levels. I cannot emphasise the virtues of walking enough. Sleep is an important aspect for repair and rejuvenation of our bodies. Aim for enough restorative sleep for eight hours and 10 minutes of deep breathing during bed time.
We must eat sensibly, intelligently and ethically. If these three pillars of eating are understood well, then your food becomes healing in itself.
(Dr Mehta has trained Bollywood superstars Akshay Kumar, Preity Zinta, billionaires, politicians, Miss World/Miss Universe candidates and the Maharashtra Police. A best-selling author, he has been appointed FIT India Movement Champion by the Sports Authority of India).
